Council planners have given the green light for a local farm shop to be extended.

Warwick District Council has approved a planning application for Gazabo Nursery at Brook Farm.

Plans will see a single-storey extension built at the Stoneleigh Road farm shop as well as a package sewage treatment plant built.

Before plans were signed off this month, the scale of the application was actually reduced.

"The scheme has been substantially amended over the course of the application to ensure that the proposed extension is of an appropriate scale and mass that will not result in a disproportionate addition to the original building," a council report said. 

"Initially, the applicant had suggested that the removal of the existing polytunnel to the south of the site should contribute to the overall floor space calculations, enabling the provision of a larger extension to the farm shop building. 

"However, this was not considered to be appropriate, particularly when comparing the lightweight nature of the polytunnel in comparison to a substantial extension of an existing building on site and the fact that this is a physically separate structure from the farm shop sought to be extended."

The application - submitted by Brook Farm - said the extension is a "crucial component" in diversifying the farm.

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It said the expansion will help support "the long-term viability of the wider agricultural and market gardening operations at Brook Farm".

The extension will allow the shop to modernise, with a new tea room also added.

The council report continued: "The proposed development is considered to be acceptable in principle, with the amended scheme considered to be appropriate development within the green belt as a result of the extension being significantly reduced in scale to ensure it represents a proportionate extension to the original building. 

"The amended design is considered to appropriately reflect the from and appearance of the existing building, with the proposed extension also considered to have an acceptable impact in regards to parking and highway safety. 

"The development is also considered to be acceptable from an amenity, flooding and ecological perspective."

Click here to see the full planning application.